Joseph W. Carden served as Assistant Surgeon on the staff of Colonel John Drew's Cherokee Mounted Rifles regiment. The regiment was mustered in to Confederate service on October 25, 1861, and discontinued in August 1862, following massive desertions in June and July, as most of its soldiers did not identify with the Confederate cause. Carden is on record as having resigned his position on April 7, 1862, i.e. before the regiment disintegrated. As an assistant surgeon, his military rank was equal to that of a Captain.